Dactyle

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  dactyl \dac"tyl\ (d[a^]k"t[i^]l), n. [L. dactylus, Gr. da`ktylos
     a finger, a dactyl. Cf. {Digit}.]
     1. (Pros.) A poetical foot of three sylables (--- [crescent]
        [crescent]), one long followed by two short, or one
        accented followed by two unaccented; as, L.
        t["e]gm[i^]n[e^], E. mer[bprime]ciful; -- so called from


        the similarity of its arrangement to that of the joints of
        a finger. [Written also {dactyle}.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Zool.)
        (a) A finger or toe; a digit.
        (b) The claw or terminal joint of a leg of an insect or
            crustacean.
            [1913 Webster]